Garlicky Green Beans and Bacon

My daughter is a year and a half old now and has become a picky eater. Unlike her infant days where she eagerly gobbled up any type of baby food I made her, she is much choosier about what she will try. The likeliest target to end up on the floor is vegetables. Even the ones she will eat today will not get the same treatment tomorrow. So to make these green beans more enticing, I cooked it with bacon. Because, let’s face it, everything tastes better with bacon. And the bacon I had on hand was one I purchased from Applegate Farms’ website. I got a discount by purchasing a case over individual packages.

Garlicky Green Beans and Bacon

1 pound of green beans, washed and trimmed

4 pieces uncooked bacon, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

salt to taste

approximately 1/4 cup water

Over high heat, cook bacon pieces until some of the fat is rendered. I used a wok but a cast-iron skillet or saute pan will work, too.

Add the green beans and garlic and continue to cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the water, in increments if necessary, while still cooking over high heat to create steam. If the pan is not hot enough, you’ll end up stewing the beans.

Season with salt and remove the beans once they are cooked through but still crunchy and bright green.

I served these along side the rib eye steaks I wrote about previously and it was a simple and satisfying meal. Best of all, my daughter started off by eating the green beans before she had any of the steak, and my little meat eater loves steak. I was super excited and looked at my husband who said matter of factly, “Of course she likes it, it tastes like bacon.” So eloquently put. The excitement was short lived, though, as I found moments later that bits of green beans were the only things left in her bowl with no trace of bacon or beef.